American Society of Botanical Artists

What American Society of Botanical Artists does

The American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1994 and headquartered in the Bronx, New York (EIN: 11-3255547). Its mission is to promote contemporary botanical art, raise awareness of plant conservation and ecological sustainability, and provide professional development for botanical artists ranging from hobbyists to professional illustrators and educators. ASBA serves a distributed membership base spanning 45 U.S. states and 22 countries (as of 2010), including individual artists, institutional members such as botanical gardens and museums, and art patrons and collectors.

ASBA's portfolio of products and services centers on a quarterly journal (The Botanical Artist), an annual international juried exhibition series with co-presenting partners including the New York Botanical Garden and the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, a rotating annual conference (2026 Denver, 2027 Boston, 2028 Phoenix), a spring symposium, structured certificate programs in partnership with the New York Botanical Garden, an online educational platform called Botanical Art OnDemand™, artist grants, regional chapters and artists' circles, and curated international travel programs such as Travel with ASBA. Sales of exhibition catalogs ($10-$25) and journal back issues ($10) provide additional content revenue. The organization operates through a ClubExpress website platform with no proprietary technology stack and no mobile application.

The revenue model combines recurring membership dues (providing under 50% of needed funding per 2010 data), one-time conference and event registration fees ($460 base for members, plus $15-$480 add-ons), donations and sponsorships (including corporate sponsors Blick Art Materials, John Neal Books, and Paper & Ink Arts via affiliate referral), catalog and merchandise sales, and travel program donations ($500 per person). The organization is governed by a board of directors and operated by a lean staff of part-time employees and contractors, with Executive Director Jody Williams and President Gillian Rice providing leadership. ASBA holds Charity Navigator's "Give with Confidence" rating based on financial health, transparency, and accountability.

Name

American Society of Botanical Artists

Legal name

American Society of Botanical Artists

Website

https://asba-art.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ASBA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1994 that serves botanical artists across 45 U.S. states and 22 countries through exhibitions, conferences, certificate programs, a quarterly journal, and educational content.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bronx

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues from individual and institutional members provide partial funding for operations, though less than 50% of needed funding according to 2010 data.
2. Conference Registration: Base registration fee of $460 for ASBA members plus additional fees for workshops, pre/post-conference sessions, tours, and meals. Guest registration available at $25.
3. Travel Programs: Travel with ASBA tours including Vienna 2026 with $500 donation per person required upon registration.
4. Catalog and Journal Sales: Sale of exhibition catalogs ($10-$25), journal back issues ($10 each), and merchandise.
5. Donations and Sponsorships: Unrestricted donations, targeted donations to Acorn Fund, Exhibitions Fund, Annual Conference, and corporate sponsorships from Blick Art Materials, John Neal Books, and Paper & Ink Arts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ASBA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization that promotes public awareness of contemporary botanical art. It delivers this mission through juried international exhibitions, The Botanical Artist quarterly journal, educational programs (including the only botanical art certificate program in the US), an annual conference and spring symposium, regional chapters and artist circles, artist grants, and curated international travel programs.

Product overview

ASBA operates as a membership-based nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of botanical art products and services. The core offerings include The Botanical Artist quarterly journal and Annual International Exhibition catalogs as publications; Botanical Art OnDemand™ and Certificate Programs as educational offerings; Annual Conference and Spring Symposium as flagship events; and Travel with ASBA as a curated travel program. Supporting services include Member Gallery, Chapters & Circles for regional networking, Artist Grants for funding, and ASBA International Exhibitions for juried shows. The organization functions through ClubExpress's website platform and does not offer a commercial product suite.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Botanical Artist Journal

Quantifiable outcome

• Charity Navigator 'Give with Confidence' rating for financial health, transparency, and accountability

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Denver Botanic GardencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial sponsor of the 2026 Denver conference. Host venue for workshops, herbarium tours, and classes including sessions at York Street and Chatfield locations.
• Blick Art MaterialsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor receiving affiliate link on ASBA website. ASBA receives portion of purchase price when members link to Blick from the site.
• John Neal BooksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor receiving affiliate link on ASBA website. ASBA receives portion of purchase price when members link from the site.
• Paper & Ink ArtsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor receiving affiliate link on ASBA website. ASBA receives portion of purchase price when members link from the site.
• Halcyon HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial conference hotel for 2026 Denver conference. Provides negotiated rate of $298/night for ASBA attendees. Features amenities including rooftop pool, fitness center, and Gear Garage.
• Marin Art & Garden CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of annual international exhibitions including 2025 28th Annual International and 2023 26th Annual International.
• Foundry Art CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of 2025 exhibition 'A More Abundant Future' focused on cultivating diversity in garden, farm, and field.
• Society of IllustratorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of 2024 27th Annual International Exhibition showcasing contemporary botanical art.
• New York Botanical GardencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner co-presenting triennial exhibitions (2024 'Curious Allies') and hosting certificate programs. Frequent venue for exhibitions and educational programs.
• Wave HillminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of annual international exhibitions including 2022 25th Annual International and 2020 23rd Annual International.
• Hunt Institute for Botanical DocumentationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigious botanical art institution in Pittsburgh. Co-hosts exhibitions and conferences. Hosted 2010 conference in conjunction with their international exhibition.
• Fleischer Family FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban farm partner for 2026 Denver conference tours, providing educational experiences about soil health and community food systems.
• University of DenverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for 2026 conference with self-guided tour of Chester M. Alter Arboretum featuring 2,100+ trees and 427+ species.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• New York Botanical Garden: Major botanical garden institution that hosts ASBA's certificate programs and exhibitions. Functions as a partner/host rather than a direct competitor, but its educational programming and botanical art offerings overlap with ASBA's mission.
• American Society of Illustrators (partnership organization): Long-established New York-based illustration professional association. Co-presenter of ASBA's 2024 Annual International Exhibition; broader than ASBA but overlapping with botanical illustration as a discipline.
• Royal Horticultural Society: Large UK-based horticultural organization with botanical art exhibitions and Lindley Library collections. Much larger scope and budget than ASBA, but overlaps significantly in botanical art programming, education, and exhibitions.

Direct peers

• Colored Pencil Society of America: US-based membership organization for colored pencil artists with conventions, exhibitions, publications, and certification. Closely comparable membership-association business model and revenue structure (dues, conferences, publications).
• Guild of Natural Science Illustrators: US-based membership organization for natural science illustrators including botanical artists. Highly comparable operating model (membership, exhibitions, conferences, publications) and overlapping member base.
• American Watercolor Society: US-based membership organization for watercolor artists with annual exhibitions, workshops, and educational programs. Similar operational structure and member demographics; many ASBA artists work primarily in watercolor.
• Society of Botanical Artists (SBA): UK-based direct peer association for botanical artists. Most analogous organization to ASBA globally, with similar membership model, exhibitions, publications, and educational programs. Jeanne Reiner of ASBA is also a Fellow of SBA.
• National Watercolor Society: US-based watercolor artist membership organization with exhibitions, signature member status, and publications. Comparable in scale and operational model to ASBA; addresses overlapping artistic community.
• Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation: Carnegie Mellon University-based institution dedicated to botanical art and documentation. Long-term co-presenter of ASBA exhibitions and conferences; serves a similar audience of botanical artists, illustrators, and historians.

Regional players

• Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California: Regional US botanical art organization with comparable member services, exhibitions, and workshops. Addresses same niche but with a Southern California focus rather than national scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCd6F6T1ZfewpqZcGjXODbPg
• Facebookfacebook.com/100064558125200
• Instagraminstagram.com/asba.art
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-society-of-botanical-artists-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Society of Botanical Artists